naxos american classics: s/d

http://www.naxos.com/series/american_classics.htm

i've already dug into adams' "shaker loops", cage's two "prepared piano" discs, and philip glass's "heroes".

which ives should i look into? which wuorinen? how's the one nancarrow disc?

I really like Ives' Orchestral Sets and The Celestial Railroad. I need to hear more of his music tho.

Most people would probably say that the Nancarrow represents stuff he was totally dissatisfied with before he solely concentrated on the player piano. Conversely you could probably build a case of interest on that basis.

I'd also go for Feldman's String Quartet. Best intro into him.

The Gloria Coates string quartets are worth a listen in their glissandi er...glory

My fave Wuorinen is a piece called 'New York Notes' but its on Tzadik (there is a thread on him with plenty of recommendations [same goes for Ives but I'll tell you now its hard to go wrong wiht the 4th symph], some of those pieces might be on Naxos), the other one I listen to the most is the String Sextet, solely due to a liking for the format so I tend to compare it with other string sextets. Hey, its a 'hobby' of mine.

Rzweski 'The people united...'

Another look at that list and I see a disc of a performance of Tatum's improvisations! I could even learn something from that...

Also looking at that Virgil Thomson chamber music disc.

I second the Ives' 'Celestial Railroad' and the Feldman.

How awesome is it to see Art Tatum in there?

Some others I have enjoyed:
Crumb - Vox Balanae
Barber - Knoxville
Copland - Appalachian Spring/ Billy the Kid...ok ok, I include it because historically I think it is really influential... but it's not nearly as exciting to these ears as the minimalists.